Chapter 158

OLIVIA After Noah had steadied himself, we said goodbye to Pastor Reynolds and Linda and walked back to the car. The drive down the hill was silent. I held the wooden box on my lap and stared out at the passing trees while Noah kept his eyes fixed on the road. Neither of us tried to speak. We stopped for lunch along the highway, but the food went mostly untouched. When we returned to the car, I placed the wooden box back on my lap. As we drove south, the sky began to clear in patches, though the clouds still hung low over the horizon. When the familiar skyline of San Francisco appeared in the distance, I finally broke the silence. “We're not going home yet,” I said quietly. Noah glanced at me but did not ask any questions. “Drive toward the coast.” He nodded and adjusted the route without hesitation. I watched as the city buildings slowly gave way to open sky. The air grew heavier with the scent of salt long before the ocean came into view. By the time we parked, it was close to four i